Machine for driving fence-posts.



O.- BURHOP.

MACHINE FOR DRIVING FENCE POSTS.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1911.

. Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I I wventoz Z 0370 Burke 9,

Gum,

COLUMBIA PLANmJRAPl-l 50., WASHINGTON. D c.

OTTO BUR-HOP, OF GRAFTON, 'WISCONSIN'.

MACHINE roanarvrne FENCE-resins.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1911. Serial No. 642,266.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, OTTO BURHOI, a citi zen of the United'States,residing at Graf-- ton, in the county of Ozankee and State ofWVisconsin, have invented certain new and.

useful Improvements in Machines for Driving Fence-Posts, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings. ,x v

This invention relates to post drivers and more particularly to amachine for driving posts for fences and the like. u

The object of thisinvention is to provide a machine for driving postsfor fences, which willdo the work readily and quickly, and arranged soas to be easily mounted on a wagon or other portable structure, so thatthe machine can be takenfrom one location to another to be used for thepurposes intended.

Another object of this invention is toreduce the number of parts to aminimum so that the cost of manufacture will be low, and the machinesuch that it can be readily taken care of by an ordinary workman;

A further objectof this invention isto have it arranged so that it canbe operated by hand or power. I

A still further object of this invention is to have the design of thevarious parts and their location such that a ready inspection and repaircan be made whenever the same is necessary.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as it is more fullyset forth.

Owners of large estates usually experience difliculty in installingvposts for fences around their lands, because of the difiicultyinproperly placing the posts in their proper relation around the ground tobe fenced in. This difficulty is caused by the time required to placethe posts within the ground and the cost of the labor in general. Inaddition,

the usual method of placing these posts-in the ground takes up muchtime, and is not done as satisfactorily as desired. This in-.

vention avoids these objections because it readily places the postswithin the ground at a predetermined distance and does the work quickly,cheap y and efficiently, and at the same time the cost of the machinefor doing this work is comparativelylow, whilethe power required tooperate it can be readily obtained from a small motor. I

In the construction shown in} the draw ings; Figure 1 represents a viewin elevation Patented Jan. 23,1912. 1

of a post driver embodying this invention; 4 i

Fig, 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a sectlonal' viewv along theline '33, F igq l.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details of the variousparts of the machine.

. 1 Similarreference characters refer to similar parts throughoutthedrawings.

In the drawings which illustrate 'by way of example the construction ofthis inventlon 1 represents the base portion which preferably consists:of two pieces of material to which is fastenedat its front or head portoform guides for the weight 3, arranged to drlve posts within the ground.Secured to 'tion apair of anglesQ. which are arranged.

the back portion of the base 1 area pair of 2 angularly disposed pieces4 which have their upper portions secured to the angles 2, and whichproject beyondfthem and connect to another pair of angles 5 arranged toform the outer guides for the weight 3. -"These L guides are secured attheir lower portions to the horizontally disposed angle pieces 6,

which inturn are secured to the'pieces 4 and a pair of uprights 7 Theuprightsare drilled so as to serve as supports for a main; gear 8 andthe-subgears '9 and 10. These last mentioned gears are connected bymeans of a'transmission chain 11, and the gear 9 is keyed to the shaftthat supports the gearS,

so thatit will move in unison with the latter.

The gear 8 is arranged to engage with a smaller gear 12 that is keyed toa shaft 1 3,

thatisarranged tobe actuated by a pulley 14. This pulley being adaptedto be actu- .ated by power or by hand. 15 is a suitable,

journal secured to the base 1 and arranged to hold the shaft 13. Mountedon the shaft that supports the gear 10 is a cam-like mem- Provided on ofthe portion of the'arm 17 and to afford the means of raising the lever18, and there-I by the weight 3. When the arm 17 has been raised acertain amount the shaft which supports the cam arm 16 rotates andcauses the I I the wheel 8 is a projection 21 that isadapted to engagewith the lower end I ber16 that isarranged to engage with an arm 17 thatis secured to, a lever 18 at a suitable point thereof. The outer portionof this lever isprovided with a swinginglink 19 that hasits lowerportion secured to the weight '3 so as to provide means to raise thelatter to'push off the member 17 which perbeing turned out too far bythe cam 16, and:

also to form a means for bringing the arm in a suitable position toengage with the projection 21 when the same is rotated on the wheel 8,that is, the arm or link 22 is arranged to permit the cam 16 to move thearm 17 outwardly, sufiiciently to disengage it from the projection 21 atthe desired time, and,when the projection is moving adjacent to the gear10, but restricts the movement of the'arm 17 enough to keep its lowerend and toe in the line of movement of the projection 21, so that thesame will actuate and raise the arm 17 when it comes in contacttherewith. At the same time the arm 22 will prevent the arm 17 fromslipping off the projection until the cam member strikes it.

In operation, the wheel 14 is turned and its shaft 13 with the gear 12which in turn rotates the gear 8, which thereby causes the projectingpart 21 to move in-a circular direction, and which engages with thelower portion of the arm 17. The latter rises in turn and moves thelever 18, link 19 and weight 3, so that the latter is arranged forhammering a post in the ground. The post being suitably disposed on theground beneath it. As the wheel 8 rotates farther it in turn rotates thegears 9 and 10 together with their intervening chain 11, and causes thecam 16 to rotate until it strikes the arms 17 which makes the latterslip off the projection 21, and permits the weight 3 to'fall, becausethere is no means of holding the 1 same nor its link nor the lever 18nor the arm 17 in the upper positionf As the weight falls, it is kept inproper alinement by means of the guides 2 and 5.

In order to provide means forpreventing the various parts of the fallingmechanism from being jarred too much, there is provided a plurality ofsprings 23 which are disposed on the lower portion of the lever 18, andare arranged to engage with the cross piece 2t disposed on and securedto, the cross pieces 6, as is clearly shown in the drawings. Thesesprings are preterably disposed within each other in order to keep downthe amount of space they will take up on the cross piece 24. However, itis understood that the springs can be spaced side by side under the arm18 and on the cross piece 24, if desired, in

which case the diameters will have to be regulated accordingly. In thedrawings,

only the outermost spring is apparent, as the others are concealedwithin it. These springs and cross pieces take up-the jar as the weightfalls on the post, and enables the lever to more readily return to itsupper position, and at the same time reduces the amount of powerrequired in the operation of this device, because it will assist thewheel 8 in raising the arm 17 when the projection 21 comes in engagementwith the arm. This under normal conditions will be very soon after theweight has fallen, so that the efiect of the resilient means returningfrom its compressive action will be utilized.

Obviously, while there is shown but one modification of the constructionoi. this invention in the drawings, it is not desired to limit thisapplication for a patent, in any way, otherwise than it is necessitatedby the prior art, as many modifications of the construction of thisinvention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described this invention it is claimed:

1. A machine for driving posts comprising in combination a base, aplurality of uprights disposed on said base, a plurality of gearsforming a train and disposed between said uprights, braces disposed onthe upper portion of said uprights, a plurality of guides secured tosaid braces, a weight movabel in said guides, said weight being arrangedto drive posts in the ground, a link attached to said weight, a. leverattached to said link for lifting the same, an arm for raising saidlever, means disposed on said gears arranged to lift said arm verticallyand outwardly through a portion of their rotary travel, a supportsecured to the end portion of said lever, said support being mounted onsaid base.

2. A machine for driving posts comprising in combination a base, aplurality of uprights disposed on said base, a pluralityof gears forminga train and disposed between said uprights, braces disposed on the upperportion of said uprights, a plurality of guides secured to said braces,a portion of said guides extending downwardly and attached to said baseso as to be reinforced thereby, a weight movable in said guides, saidweight being arranged to drive posts in the ground, a link attached tosaid weight, a lever attached to said link for lifting the same, an armfor raising said lever, means disposed on said gears arranged to liftsaid arm vertically and outwardly through a portion of their rotarytravel, arsupport secured to the end portion of said lever, said supportbeing mounted on said base, and braces for reinforcing said guides, saidbraces and said support.

3. A machine for driving posts comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of uprights disposed on said base, a plurality at a relativelyslow rate of speed, a project-- 7 lifting the same, an arm for raisingsaid is arranged tobe actuated by power or hand,

of gears one being relatively large and enso that the firstmentionedgear will move gaging with a relatively small gear, which isarranged to be actuated by power or hand, so that the first mentionedgear will move ing arm disposed on the periphery of said large gear, aplurality of sub "gears moving in unison with. said large gear, one ofsaid sub gears being provided'with a cam arm, braces disposed on the.upper portion of said uprights, a plurality of guides secured to saidbraces, a weight movablein said guides, said weight beingarranged todrive posts in the ground, a link attached to said weight, a leverattached to said link for inunison with said large gear, one of said subgears being provided with a cam arm, braces disposed on the upperportion of said uprights, a plurality of guides secured to said braces,a weight movable in said guides, said weight being arranged to driveweight, a lever attached to said link for lifting the same, an arm forraising said upwardly by means of said projecting arm on said largewheel, and to be tripped there: from by means of said cam arm when thesame is in its uppermost position,a support secured to the end portionof said lever, said lever, said arm being arranged to be moved upwardlyby means of said projecting arm on said large wheel, and to be trippedtherefrom by means of said cam arm when the same is in itsuppermost-position, a support secured to the end portion of'said-lever,said support being mounted on said base.

4. A machine for driving posts comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of uprights disposed on said base, a plurality of gears onebeing relatively large and engaging with a relatively small gear whichresilient means arranged to take up the j ar of the lever when theweight has fallen. In testimony whereofI hereunto aiiix my Gr. Craosnve,JosEPH LORENZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eentsgeach addressing theCommissioner of Patents,

Washington, 110.

at a relatively slow rate ofspeed, a projectl ing arm disposed ontheperiphery of said large gear, a ,pluralityof sub gears moving f postsin the ground, a link attached to said lever, said arm being arranged tobe moved support being mounted on said base, and' signature inthepresence of two Witnesses.

